Personal sports writing archive of Blake Murphy.

100 Words: Rudy Gay

Title: 100 Words: Rudy GayDate: May 1, 2013Original Source:Raptors RepublicSynopsis: I introduced a series to keep Raptor content flowing during the NBA playoffs, calling on different writers to submit brief pieces on players, curated together. I wrote a poem for this one.

Throughout the NBA playoffs, where we Raptor fans are left to wallow, Raptors Republic brings you the 100 Words Series. Calling on RR writers and other Raptor scribes from around the internet and MSM, we’ll provide the Republic with 100-word takes on players, coaches, management and announcers. Look for these two or three times a week, continuing today with Rudy Gay. The mission I charged the contributors with was simple: you have 100 words (prose, poetry, song, whatever) to discuss said player.

Adam Francis, Raptors HQ
I wanted to like Rudy Gay. I did. He’s a nice guy, a potential fan-favourite because of his explosive style of play, and is as close to an elite wing as this club’s had since Mr. Carter went to Jersey.

But unfortunately, he also stands for everything I despise about the Bryan Colangelo era, from the cap-killing contract, to the “hollow” statistical production. In isolation I could probably be a Rudy Gay backer, but taking Colangelo’s past moves into consideration, it’s hard for me to look at Gay as much more than Hedo Part Deux.

Andrew Thompson, Raptors Republic
These one-hundred words have evolved over the last three months. When the Raptors made the trade, they would have been ‘Thirty-seven million, two-hundred and six thousand, two-hundred and fifty six million over the next two years?’ and then repeated that six times. By season’s end, they were ‘shot selection!’ repeated fifty times. And then just last week, they changed again to ‘glasses?!’ repeated a hundred times. In all seriousness, I can make peace with the price of the contract if he takes better shots, which he may hit a better percentage of now that he can, you know, actually see.

Blake Murphy, Raptors RepublicFrom 19 Feet, a poem
New hope springs
A star within our grasp
But when is a star not a star

A meteor across hardwood
Human flight, collects and deposits
Excitement in Great Flight North

A hero, vanquishing at the last moment
The buzzer sounds, his arms raised
Clutch is thy name

Sisyphus for a day, a month
42 percent but oh, the totals
Efficiency is for the rich
We wretched lust for volume

Sam Holako, Raptors Republic(In the spirit of Ayn Rand)
The noble Raptor par excellence. The player as player should be. The self-sufficient, self-confident, the end of ends, the reason unto himself, the joy of shooting personified. Above all-the small forward who balls for himself, as balling for oneself should be understood. And who triumphs completely. A player who is what he should be.

Tim W., Raptors Republic
Rudy Gay is a fine player. He’s an elite athlete who has the ability to be one of the top players in the game. But he’s been an underachiever for most of his basketball life, which is why he was drafted eighth in a weak draft and not first. He was given a max contract in the hopes he would one day live up to it. He has not.

Considering teams tend to take on the personality of the best player, how smart is it to build the team around an underachiever who score inefficiently and defends inconsistently?